What About Now?
by dress without sleeves
Summary: Just a stupid little ficlet about Ginny and Draco...


Ginny Weasley swore loudly and profoundly as the bottom of her bag ripped off and all of her books tumbled onto the floor. She slumped into a squat and began frustratedly to pick them up. She muttered a spell to fix her bag and dropped the pile of books in as she glanced at her watch.

"You're going to be late if you don't hurry, dear," it told her, and she took off down the corridor, through doorways, and between the throng of people. She was about to turn and go to the dungeons when an annoyingly familiar voice drawled, "Late, Weasley?"

She ground her teeth together and whirled around to face Draco Malfoy. "Yes," she spat. "Excuse me." She began to trot back towards her Potions classroom when he jabbed a foot out in front of her and she tripped...right into the Transfiguration Classroom door. It swung open and she tumbled into the classroom.

Instantly, everything went quiet. She let out an annoyed scream and swore so profoundly that even McGonagall was speechless. She looked up and suddenly realized where she was; she flushed a deep shade of red. "Er...oops?" She squeaked out, getting to her feet. "Sorry, Professor. That bloody sodding prat Mal..." She trailed off, blushing again. "I mean...er...tripped over Malfoy's well-placed foot."

Malfoy's indignant splutter came in through the door and he marched in angrily. "Are you suggesting that I _purposely_ tripped you, Weasley?" He accused, glaring menacingly at the redhead. She snorted.

"I ruddy well am," she returned, not giving him a second glance. He drew himself to his full height, which towered over her, and growled. "Tut, tut," she snapped. "We're in a classroom, Malfoy. No need to get all Lucius-Malfoy-Is-My-Patter on me."

Suddenly, there was a chortle from the front of the classroom. Ginny's eyes snapped to the person making the noise and she felt herself go entirely red. She clapped her hand to her mouth as her eyes swiveled around the room, and she let out a groan. "Bloody sodding _hell_," she moaned, "You won't tell Mum, will you, Ron?" She begged, adopting the I'm-You-Sister-Don't-You-Love-Me? look. Her brother just smirked, and this act of sibling-normalcy brought Professor McGonagall back to her senses.

"Weasley! Malfoy!" She snapped, "Detention!" She paused for a moment and then added, _"Paired_ detentions."

"Damnit!" Ginny muttered at the same time Malfoy let out a strangled sob-like sound. She glared at him, a look which he returned whole-heartedly. "Well...I'm late," she said suddenly, trying to wriggle her way out of the classroom. "Potions, y'know..."

She backed out of the door and Malfoy followed her. As soon as the door shut, he slammed her into a wall. "Trying to humiliate me, Weasley?" He snarled, looking very dangerous and Death-Eater-ish.

She scowled as her bag dropped to the floor with a resounding _Smack!_ She stuck her tongue out impudently. "I don't need to," she said condescendingly. "You do it good enough yourself." His face paled further, if it was possible, and he whipped out his wand.

"You're dead, Weasley," he snarled, his voice low. "Dead."

"Not really," she retorted, falling back on sarcasm for a way out. She knew her skills weren't matched with Malfoy's and she hadn't a hope in a fight. The only thing for her to do was pretend she wasn't terrified. "You see...look..." She pointed to her stomach. "In... out... in... out ...like that, see? It means I'm breathing. And if you look in _here_..." She opened her mouth wide and shut it again, "You'll see that everything is working just like it's supposed to be! Not to mention I'm talking..." she trailed off and shrugged. "But Snape won't let things remain this way if I'm much later, so if you'll excuse me..."

Malfoy sneered and kept her pinned firmly against the wall. "Fine," she said nonchalantly, glancing at her watch. "I guess we'll just sit here."

"You are very, _very_ lady my dear," the watch said worriedly. "If you don't get a move on, it's detention for you, and oh, _what_ would your mother say?"

Ginny shrugged. "Buggered if I know. Not good for a prefect to get two detentions in one night, I s'pose, but it _is_ Snape."

The watch vibrated, showing its strong disapproval. "But you are _skiving!_ _Prefects can't skive!"_ Ginny just snorted and ignored the watch as it continued to rant. "Well?" She asked finally, looking Malfoy straight in the eyes. "Are you going to hex me, or will we stand here all day?"

Malfoy was staring at her as though he'd never seen her before. He suddenly let go of her wrists, and she flexed her hands appreciatively. "Thank you very much," she said politely, and the words somehow seemed to mock him. "Jolly good of you. Well, ta."

She picked up her bag and started down the hall, her heart beating furiously in her chest. Oh, _Merlin_ that was terrifying... "Weasley!" She briefly considered ignoring him, and then turned with a frustrated, "_What,_ Malfoy?"

He smiled at her—it was a little disconcerting. She had never seen _Malfoy_ smile at anyone. "You're really, really pretty—when you're annoyed and otherwise."

She gaped. "I'm..._what_?"

Malfoy shrugged. "You're really pretty. What, do you need me to spell it out for you? Y-o-u-apostrophe-r-e-space-r-e-a..."

She glared. _"No,_ I do not need you to _spell it out_ for me!"

"Well, I figured, you poor people aren't as naturally as intelligent as..."

Ginny snapped. Her bag was digging into her shoulder, she had just been pinned up and threatened by Malfoy, proceeded by being complimented, proceeded by _another_ insult, the result of which being a migraine, _and_ she was late for Potions. She dropped her bag with a growl and leapt on the blonde-haired boy. _"You—incorrigible—prat!"_ She shrieked, slapping his face as hard as she could as she toppled to the floor. _"Don't—talk—about—my—family—that—way!"_

She was sitting on his stomach, knees placed on either side, and her hair was free-falling down over her face. "You've just earned me _two_ detentions, a sore wrist, a ranting watch, a Howler from my mother, _and_ the chance of getting my Prefect's badge taken away! Argh!" She smacked him again, but he refused to get rid of the amused look on his face. _"Stop—smirking!!"_

"Weasley," he said calmly, making no move to shove her off of him, "Please stop hitting me." She growled at him again and rolled off, standing in a huff as he struggled to his feet. "Hey, hey," he called as she stalked off, his voice almost what someone might call_ soft,_ "I didn't say get off. Just stop hitting me."

She scowled. "Well, I stopped hitting you, so will you please stop hitting _on_ me?"

He grinned. "Maybe," he muttered demurely.

She glared. "What the _hell_ is your problem, Malfoy? You can't just—just—do this!" The boy smiled alluringly and continued to walk forward.

"Do what, Weasley?" He asked as she backed up, finding herself once more against a wall as he stood in front of her.

"I really, _really_ don't like you right now," she snapped. This caused his smile to widen further, and he gently brushed his lips against hers.

"What about now?" She stared at him, and he did it again, just a little harder than before. "Or now?" She gaped in surprise and gently pushed him away.

"I don't like you any more than I did before, Malfoy," she told him primly, and then stood on tiptoe and lightly kissed his lips. "I'll leave it to you to figure it out."

She turned around and pranced down into the Potions classroom without looking back. Ignoring Snape's snide, "Finally feel like gracing us with your oh, _so_ anticipated presence, Weasley?" she sat down at the nearest desk. "Well?" He demanded. "Where were you?"

She grinned. "Well, sir, first I was running in the hallways—"

"Ten point from Gryffindor for disobeying ru—"

"—Then I was in the Transfiguration classroom, swearing in front of McGonagall—"

"—That's _Professor_ McGonagall to you! Fifteen points from Gryf—"

"—Which was proceeded be being awarded a bloody sodding detention with Malfoy—"

"—_Language,_ Weasley! Twenty poi—"

"—So he threatened to kill me, and then told me I was pretty—"

"—Twenty-five points for _lying,_ Wea—"

"—And _finally,_ we ended up snogging against a wall! So that's why I'm late, Professor. Dreadfully sorry."

The entire classroom went quiet, even Snape left rendered speechless. And then suddenly the door opened and Malfoy himself strutted in. Snape smiled maliciously, as though Ginny were a canary and Malfoy was a cat. "Well, Mr. Malfoy, Miss Weasley has just told me a _very _interesting story," Malfoy raised his eyebrows.

"That's nice, Professor," he said boredly, plopping into a Snape's own seat. Ginny's breath caught in her throat, and she knew that this was it—if he denied it, she would never, _ever_ go out with him or allow herself to feel 'that way' again. If he agreed, well...she'd have to see what happened.

"It involves _you_, Mr. Malfoy," Snape continued, tossing a piece of chalk in the air and catching it. "You see, Miss Weasley here seems to think that you and she were just having a little snog-fest in the corridor, and this was why she was late for my class."

Ginny studied Malfoy's face carefully as he took in this information. "She thinks so, does she?" He asked noncommittally. Ginny's eyes met his calmly and she thought, hoping he could get the message, _It's all up to you, Malfoy. Screw this up, and there will be nothing to be 'over'. You got that? I've done the pining-thing. I'm over it._

"She does," Snape said gleefully. "And, although it is ridiculous, I am forced to ask...is it true?"

Ginny held her breath. _Now or never, you great oaf,_ she told him mentally. Malfoy shrugged. "I thought she already told you. Why are you asking me?" Ginny cocked her head. It wasn't..._disagreeing..._but it wasn't agreeing, either. Snape rolled his eyes.

"Out with it, Mr. Malfoy. Did you or did you not kiss Miss Weasley a moment ago?"

Malfoy sighed. "No." He said, standing up. Ginny's expression remained the same, but her heart twanged. She shoved it away and began preparing herself for the numb feeling she'd gotten around Harry when she'd fancied him...Malfoy walked towards her, put both hands on her desk, and kissed her. Deeply. Then he pulled back, leaving her to stare dazedly, and swiveled casually around to face Snape. "_Now_ I have kissed Miss Weasley a moment ago. You see, before, it _had_ to have been at least five minutes..."

Ginny beamed at him and allowed herself to bask in Snape's incredulity. "Thank you," she whispered in Malfoy—no, Draco's—ear. He smiled at her, and she smiled back.

"Well, I'm off," he said suddenly, standing and making for the door as the class dismissed of their own accord—Snape was too busy looking disgusted and terrified to do it himself. He grabbed Ginny's bag and slung it over his shoulder. "Don't get cocky," he growled as she raised her eyebrows and slipped her hand in his. "Just this once, in celebration."

Ginny smirked. "If you say so," she said, and then paused, gently kissing his ear. "You're really, really handsome—flustered and otherwise," she whispered seductively. "But e_specially_ when you're flustered."

He tried to ignore her and retorted, "Can't even come up with your own lines, Weasley?"

She grinned. "Can't even remember my name, _Draco?"_

"I really, _really_ don't like you right now," he mumbled, and then grinned. "Care to steal a line or two?"

Ginny laughed and did jumped onto his back, forcing her to carry her piggyback. "Nah. I like originality and randomness."

Draco groaned. "I'm giving you an—Oh, Gods, this is undignified—_piggyback_ ride _only_ if you promise to allow me to snog you senseless afterwards."

She wrapped her legs around his middle and his breathe caught in his throat. She grinned. "I'll make you a deal. The first one to go senseless has to give a piggyback ride into the great hall at lunch. And the other has to oblige."

And so, in this way, was it that at lunch the next day, Ginny Weasley gave Draco Malfoy a piggyback ride into lunch. They ate in between the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables, as they couldn't decide which House to sit with, and agreed to compromise.

Ron Weasley wrote his Mum about the Transfiguration-incident and complained about the Ginny/Draco relationship.

He got a Howler for being an overbearing, overprotective git.


End file.
